In Central Europe one of the most important interchanges between the North Temperate
Realm and the Tethyan Realm took place during the Cenomanian along the course of the Elbe Valley
Geosuture that separates the Erzgebirge block (part of the Mid European Island during the
Cretaceous) from the Lusatian block (West Sudetic Island). Strata of the Lower Cretaceous and the
basal portion of Lower Cenomanian are absent in the Elbe Valley Geosuture but a marine
transgression in a NW-SE direction occupied a portion of this tract during the late Early Cenomanian
and a second incursion from SE to NW occurred during the Late Cenomanian. These transgressions
are known to have occurred because of faunal migrations southwards from the North Temperate
Realm and northwards from the Tethyan Realm across the Bohemian Basin. Sediments of the first
transgression (Lower Cenomanian, dixoni zone) are restricted to the northwestern part of the Elbe
Valley Geosuture in the Meissen area for at that time the fluvial Niederschöna Formation occupied
the southern part of the Elbe Valley Geosuture and the adjacent Erzgebirge block. Most of the rivers
in this system ran eastward but drained toward northern Bohemia. This fluvial environment
predominated in the southern part of the Elbe Valley Geosuture and on the adjacent Erzgebirge
block.
But the uppermost levels of the fluviatile Niederschöna strata are influenced by marine ingressions.
The main transgression from the North Temperate Realm toward the Tethyan Realm took place in
the basal Upper Cenomanian (naviculare zone) along the Elbe Valley Geosuture. A small regression
followed (plenus event, geslinianum zone): Indications of this regression are visible on the flanks of
small islands in the Elbe Valley Geosuture. Four marine sequences are recognized in strata dated
Late Cenomanian - earliest Turonian.
These sequences are important for the comparison of Upper Cretaceous formations in Saxony with
those of the Upper Cretaceous in northern Bohemia and in the peripheral areas of the NW German-
Polish Basin, in the Münsterland, Subhercynian, Eichsfeld regions and in the Anglo-Paris Basin.
These sequences are described and their influence on the changes in the paleogeography in the Elbe
Valley Geosuture is discussed. Slight variations in sea level as a consequence of local tectonic
movements in the Elbe Valley Geosuture cannot be precluded....

An integrated case study of field "A" in offshore Abu Dhabi found that the stratigraphic
framework for the uppermost part of the so-called "Thamama Group" required revision. Detailed
sedimentological work permitted a subdivision of the succession into lithostratigraphic units (more
accurately "allostratigraphic units") and the fossil content permitted their allocation to standard
age-related units ranging from Late Barremian through Middle Aptian times. Additional work focused
on the so-called "Shu'aiba Formation" and resulted in a new and comprehensive interpretation on a
regional scale which differs from published interpretations based on onshore studies in Abu Dhabi,
Qatar, and Oman....

Three "snakes with legs" are known: Pachyrhachis problematicus, Haasiophis terrasanctus
and Eupodophis descouensi. They have short posterior limbs but lack an anterior girdle and
forelimbs. Moreover, Pachyophis woodwardi, Mesophis nopcsai and Simoliophis ssp. appear to be
closely related to the hindlimbed taxa; consequently, although the presence of posterior limbs has
not been demonstrated for these genera, it is presumed that they too were hindlimbed. All these
snakes have been recovered only from the Cenomanian. Moreover, these six genera come from a
restricted area (western Europe and northwesternmost Africa to the Middle East). This limited
geographic range suggests that snakes might have originated in the "Mediterranean" part of the
Tethys, but the restricted stratigraphical range remains unexplained....